POLLY VICSTRUM, 89, of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Wednesday morning,
December 31, 2008, in the Cherokee Regional Medical Center following a short illness.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, January 3rd, at 10:30 a.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee. Pastor Larry Nilson will officiate. Burial will be in the Good Hope Cemetery at rural Cherokee, Iowa. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. at the funeral home on Saturday. Visitation will be on Friday from 1 p.m. until 9 p.m. with the family present from
6 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Boothby Funeral Home.

Pearl, "Polly" as she was known, was born on October 2, 1919 at Storm Lake, Iowa to Arthur & Ruth (Waterbury) Newell. She attended Storm Lake Public Schools. Pearl lived with her family until she was married to Forrest W. Vicstrum on February 14, 1946 at Alta, Iowa. They had three daughters, one whom died as an infant from Spina Bifida. Polly became part of many families as a housekeeper and a baby-sitter throughout her life. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Cherokee. She enjoyed reading good mysteries and loved cats.

She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter Ruth Ann, one sister Bertha Brown; brothers Ben, David and Beryl Newell; and another brother in infancy.

She is survived by her husband Forrest; 2 daughters: Donna Clark and her husband Daniel of Ankeny, Iowa; Patricia Carlson of Milford, Iowa; 4 grandchildren; and 5 great grandchildren.